Nose, Nasal Cavities, and Paranasal Sinuses

Question 1

What are the 3 functions of the external nose and nasal cavity?

Answer 1

olfactory
respiratory
defense

Question 2

Name 2 purposes of having two nares with conchae.

Answer 2

1. increase surface area for mucous
2. increase contact of air with mucous

(warm, moisten, trap particles)

Question 3

What are the 4 meatuses?

Answer 3

spheno-ethmoidal recess
superior meatus
middle meatus
inferior meatus

Question 4

What kind of mucosa lines the nasal cavity?

Answer 4

ciliated pseudostratified columnar with goblet cells

Question 5

What are the general parasympathetic and sympathetic actions in the nasal cavity?

Answer 5

parasympathetic: glandular secretion
sympathetic: constrict blood vessels (reduces liquid available for mucous)

Question 6

What is nasal cycling?

Answer 6

swelling of nasal mucosa alternates between the two sides about every 90 minutes under autonomic control

Question 7

What is the purpose of nasal cycling?

Answer 7

To give one side a break in order to clean up (trapping particles) and rehydrate (gets dried out from air)

Question 8

What 7 bones participate in the nasal septum?

Answer 8

nasal
frontal
ethmoid
sphenoid
vomer
palatine
maxilla

Question 9

What 8 bones participate in the lateral nasal cavity?

Answer 9

nasal
frontal
inferior concha
lacrimal
ethmoid
palatine
maxilla

Question 10

What are the 4 paired paranasal sinuses?

Answer 10

frontal
ethmoidal air cells
sphenoid
maxillary

Question 11

What is the largest paranasal sinus?

Answer 11

maxillary

Question 12

What 2 things do paranasal sinuses produce that contribute to the overall functioning of the system?

Answer 12

mucus

nitric oxide, a vasodilator for the blood vessels of the nose

Question 13

What is unique about the nasolacrimal duct and its drainage?

Answer 13

1. it is draining tears, not mucus

2. it is the only thing that drains to the inferior meatus

Question 14

What paranasal sinuses drain to the middle nasal meatus?

Answer 14

Most of them!

frontal
anterior ethmoidal
middle ethmoidal
maxillary

Question 15

What drains to the spheno-ethmoidal recess?

Answer 15

sphenoid sinuses

Question 16

What drains to the superior nasal meatus?

Answer 16

posterior ethmoidal

Question 17

What happens to the size of the paranasal sinuses as you age?

Answer 17

paranasal sinuses continue to enlarge throughout life; in old age the maxillary sinus may even encroach upon the root of the teeth

Question 18

What is the ganglion that provides autonomic innervation of the nasal cavity and sinuses?

Answer 18

pterygopalatine ganglion

Question 19

What are the 5 main arteries of the nasal cavity and what do they branch off of?

Answer 19

1. anterior ethmoidal, from ophthalmic
2. posterior ethmoidal, from ophthalmic
3. sphenopalatine, from maxillary
4. greater palatine, from maxillary
5. septal, from superior labial from facial

Question 20

What are the 3 main veins draining the nasal cavity?

Answer 20

1. ophthalmic vein
2. sphenopalatine vein
3. facial vein